You are invited to join a roundtable convened by the Digital Poverty Alliance to inform the next phase of our national Inquiry into digital exclusion and health outcomes in the UK.

Chaired by Professor Farah Bhatti OBE – cardiothoracic surgeon and Trustee of the Royal College of Surgeons of England – the Inquiry is examining how digital poverty shapes access to healthcare and health information. It considers the issue across life stages, regions, and systems, recognising that patients, clinicians, and healthcare staff alike may face barriers to engaging with digital services. These barriers may involve not only devices or connectivity, but confidence, trust, and the design of the systems themselves.

As digital tools become embedded in how care is delivered – through appointment platforms, electronic prescriptions, virtual consultations, and patient portals – the risk of widening health inequalities is growing. This Inquiry aims to establish where those inequalities are most acute, and how they can be addressed.

The roundtable will bring together senior participants from across health, policy, and civil society to shape the Inquiry’s focus, test key assumptions, and help surface areas requiring deeper examination. It forms part of a wider programme that includes a national Call for Evidence, four evidence sessions, and a final report with practical recommendations. These findings will inform the next phase of the Digital Poverty Alliance’s National Delivery and Advocacy Plan, and contribute to the policy response following the government’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan.